This legend records the miraculous conception by a woman, from eating seeds, and the laying of an egg from which a bird was hatched. The bird speedily grew to a gigantic size. Here we have the original of the rumour which d’Albertis records in his book on New Guinea. “They [the captain and engineer of the Ellangowan—the mission steamer, Dr. James of the Macleay expedition and his companion] told me of the discovery of the river Baxter [Mai Kŭsa], and of a bird of a huge species, which measures 22 feet between the tips of its wings. The engineer, however, diminished these dimensions, as stated by Mr. Stone, to 16 feet. They compare the flapping of its wings to the noise made by a steam-engine, and assure me that they had heard from the natives that it has often been seen to carry a dugong into the air. Some of my companions were offended because I expressed my doubts of the credibility of this story” (i, p. 387). Later on he writes: “As to the gigantic bird of Baxter, on the Maicussar river, I have ascertained that it was a Buceros ruficollis [hornbill], which makes a peculiar noise in flying. This sound, especially when several birds fly together, resembles the noise of a steam-engine; and I succeeded in convincing two or three discoverers of the great bird, who are now on board the Ellangowan, of the fact” (ii, p. 33). Accounts of this marvellous bird also appeared in Australian papers about the month of October, in 1875. D’Albertis may be credited with having discovered what may be termed the real element in the story, the remainder is doubtless due to the imperfect apprehension by the leaders of the expedition of the local legend which the natives, probably Saibai men, were telling them, as the island of Boigu lies off the mouth of the Mai Kŭsa river.
(1) The dugong (Halicore australis) is a large marine mammal, something like a whale in appearance, which feeds on a kind of sea-grass which grows on portions of the reef and in deep water. It is said to always return to its feeding ground until the latter is exhausted. (2) A Dorgai is a kind of bogey, which seems to be confined to Torres Straits. The nature of a Dorgai may be readily gleaned by a perusal of many of these legends. (3) The dugong-platform is described in the legend of Sesere. (4) Drums are hollowed out of a tree-trunk, and the tympanum is at one end only. (5) The only knife these people had was that made by splitting a bamboo, the siliceous particles in the rind forming a sharp-cutting edge; when thisPage:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 1, 1890.djvu/82
76
Legends from Torres Straits.
